Already one of the most critically-lauded albums of the year, Billy Bragg and Wilco have confirmed plans for a follow-up to "Mermaid Avenue," the album of previously unreleased Woody Guthrie songs to which Bragg and Wilco wrote new music for.

The second Bragg/Wilco album will feature material originally recorded during the "Avenue" sessions held in Chicago and Dublin, Ireland. As Bragg told MTV News, the possibility for a subsequent Guthrie album factored into how songs were selected and recorded for the initial album.

"Wilco and myself had such a great time working on the project that we actually recorded 40 tracks," Bragg said, "and eventually we had to be pulled off the material, or else we'd still be working on the 'Mermaid Avenue.'"

there will be some call for a second album. Had we not thought of that in our minds as we were making the list of 15 [tracks included on 'Mermaid Avenue'], we would never have been able to get down to that 15."

Both Bragg and Wilco plan to issue their own new albums prior to the release of their collaborative sequel to "Mermaid Avenue," which a spokesperson for Elektra said was tentatively planned for spring 1999.